Vale Rachel Watts

The equestrian community is deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Rachel Watts following a tragic car accident on Sunday. 

Rachel was a stalwart of the Australian Eventing Team for more than a decade and will be remembered as the ‘super-groom’ who treated everyone around her with kindness and generosity - both horse and human.  

Rachel’s career was built on her undeniable passion for horses and her adventurous spirit, which saw her seize every opportunity that came her way, taking her across the globe to the world stage.

It was while studying at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong, Victoria, that Rachel first met Shane Rose when he attended the College to teach a lesson, and it was this encounter that would shape the trajectory of Rachel’s equestrian career. In 2006 Rachel took a grooming job with Shane in NSW, where she quickly established herself as a valued member of the team at Bimbadeen Park. Over the next seven years Rachel became a cherished member of the ‘Rose family’ and got her first taste of Australian Team campaigns.  

In 2013, keen to see the European Eventing circuit, Rachel decided to pack her bags and head to the UK where she worked for Chris Burton as a competition groom until 2015. During her time with Chris Rachel experienced some of the world’s most prestigious events including Badminton, the FEI World Equestrian Games and her all time favourite event CHIO Aachen.  

Rachel returned to Australia in 2015 re-joining Shane and Nikki Rose at Bimbadeen Park where she remained until the end of 2021. Rachel attended multiple Championship events as a member of the Australian Eventing Team throughout her tenure with Shane, including her first Olympic Games in Rio 2016 (team bronze medal), 2015/2019 Oceania Championships NZL, the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games USA, and most recently the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (team silver medal).

Rachel was a fiercely loyal friend and an exceptional team player, always happy to help out and lend a hand when needed. Her warm and welcoming personality meant that everyone who met her was immediately at ease in her presence. It was this quality which saw her embrace a leading role with the Australian Equestrian Team grooms, as she was recognised for taking many newer grooms participating in their first international campaigns under her wing. Rachel’s work ethic and cheerful demeanour won her the admiration and respect of all those she encountered, winning the 2017 EA Groom of the Year Award.

At the end of 2021 Rachel decided to return home to Victoria to begin the next chapter of her life, accepting a position as Associate Lecturer in Equine Management at Marcus Oldham College, bringing her equestrian journey full circle. It was an opportunity for Rachel to return to where she had previously studied and to pass on her knowledge and experience to the next generation of equestrian professionals. The decision to move to Victoria also meant Rachel would be closer to her family where she planned on embracing her much-loved role as an Aunty.

With the news of Rachel’s passing the equestrian community is mourning the loss of a friend, role model and teammate. Equestrian Australia offers our deepest condolences to Rachel’s family and our thoughts are with all those who knew Rachel during this difficult time.

SERVICE
Rachel's family would like to welcome everyone to join the service to commemorate Rachel's life on Friday April 8th at 11.00am at William Sheahan Funerals, cnr of High Street and Murradoc Road, Drysdale, VIC

For anyone who can't attend, a live stream of the service will be available through William Sheahan Funerals website, where there is also an eTributes page for anyone wanting to leave a message, you can visit this site here

The service will be followed by a burial at the Portarlington Cemetery. Refreshments will then be served at the Portarlington Bowls Club. 

The service will be a celebration of Rachel’s wonderful life, and her family have requested that those attending please wear colourful clothing and learn as many lyrics as possible to one of Rachel's favourite songs: Lose Yourself by Eminem.